Client:
Gem DiamondsLocation:
Central Kalahari Game Reserve, BotswanaDuration:
21 MonthsScope of Work:
Redpath completed the development of a sand tunnel at a re-commissioned diamond mine located in an exceptionally remote area.
A decline tunneling method using a specially designed 96-ton Open Face Tunnel Shield was used to develop the sand tunnel at - 8° inclination.
With the ore body located below 80 m deep desert, Redpath tunnelled through the sand to reach the rock basalt. Deploying a technology similar to what was used to develop the London Underground Railway System, mine workers operated within the shield to move the tunnel forward segment by segment.
While this technology may not be new, it has never before been used in unconsolidated sand or at a decline. The project was an unprecedented world first at 6.1 m in diameter by 473 m in length.
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UNPRECEDENTED AT 6.1 m DIAMETER |
96 TON OPEN FACE |
80 m THROUGH DESERT SANDS |
